tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post8899055238356150472..comments2016-12-03T21:10:33.331-05:00Comments on Queers United: Is Amazon Censoring LGBT Books?Queers Unitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05074493276489593816noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-86569956343178427352009-04-16T11:28:00.000-04:002009-04-16T11:28:00.000-04:00I wrote a blog post about this. I am wondering why...I wrote a blog post about this. I am wondering why more folks aren't using this as an opportunity to talk about issues of one corporation (amazon.com/barnes and noble) controlling the bulk of books being bought in the U.S. and further, why aren't we already supporting independent bookstores (especially feminist indies and queer indies?) You can read my post via the link below. I'd love to hear from folks about this: http://caitlinpetrakischilds.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/why-are-queers-shopping-at-amazoncom-anyway/Caitlinhttp://caitlinpetrakischilds.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-40098898318628771732009-04-15T00:41:00.000-04:002009-04-15T00:41:00.000-04:00Amazon supports our float in the paradeHah! Hah! S...<I>Amazon supports our float in the parade</I>Hah! Hah! So?<br /><br /><I>...so quick to turn on an amazing company that supports our rights?</I>They fucked up massively, why not. Do you not understand that it went beyond LGBT lit but on to books on sexuality, kink, disability, feminist, and classical works of literature? <br /><br /><I>A petition are u serious?</I>Naaah, we's just playin'.<br /><br />It's not like this is the first time amazon has screwed over a group for no reason. Like I said, mighty convenient glitch that is.T. R Xandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12142370339947719352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-21765482304030813882009-04-14T23:00:00.001-04:002009-04-14T23:00:00.001-04:00Simmer down people! Amazon supports our float in t...Simmer down people! Amazon supports our float in the parade, so quick to turn on an amazing company that supports our rights? A petition are u serious? Give them a chance to fix the glitch it's not a snap your fingers fix!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-43423051687428485702009-04-14T23:00:00.000-04:002009-04-14T23:00:00.000-04:00Simmer down people! Amazon supports our float in t...Simmer down people! Amazon supports our float in the parade, so quick to turn on an amazing company that supports our rights? A petition are u serious? Give them a chance to fix the glitch it's not a snap your fingers fix!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-82374240822776764012009-04-13T08:33:00.000-04:002009-04-13T08:33:00.000-04:00I e-mailed Amazon, and this is their reply:Hello, ...I e-mailed Amazon, and this is their reply:<BR/><BR/>Hello, Thanks for contacting us. We recently discovered a glitch in our systems and it's being fixed. Thanks again for contacting us. We hope to see you again soon. Please let us know if this e-mail resolved your question<BR/><BR/>LHAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-75800391276012835232009-04-13T07:48:00.000-04:002009-04-13T07:48:00.000-04:00It's worse than it seems.It's important to realize...It's worse than it seems.<BR/><BR/>It's important to realize that they're not just ghettoizing gay books, but also gay authors whether a book has much gay content or not.<BR/><BR/>Here are amazon reader tags for "My Germany," one of my books that's been de-ranked:<BR/><BR/>holocaust(7)<BR/>lev raphael(7)<BR/>memoir(7)<BR/>germany(6)<BR/>jewish(6)<BR/>judaica(5)<BR/>gay and lesbian(4)<BR/>gay(1)<BR/><BR/>The tags accurately reflect the book's themes and subjects (though it's also a travelogue and I don't know if that's an amazon tag or not).<BR/><BR/>http://www.levraphael.com/mygermany.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-21379333315245863962009-04-13T06:10:00.000-04:002009-04-13T06:10:00.000-04:00I suppose they feel that we are getting too strong...I suppose they feel that we are getting too strong and powerful...thegayte-keeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948903601663342276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-61057461441476945072009-04-13T00:38:00.000-04:002009-04-13T00:38:00.000-04:00While Amazon is saying this was a "glitch," they'v...While Amazon is saying this was a "glitch," they've admitted elsewhere that they do have a policy of de-ranking "adult" books. The very existence of such a policy is a problem, since it could only be implemented via software and that is going to result in mistakes being made of the type we are noticing. They can't possibly have humans make all these decisions, and even if they could it would be subjective.<BR/><BR/>I don't want Amazon deciding what should be searchable under basic search terms and what should be ranked, thus influencing sales and what publishers will publish or promote in the future.<BR/><BR/>Find another solution if you want to limit kids' ability to search for things--parental controls of some sort, for instance. Or maybe try parenting. :) <BR/><BR/>(Yes I was a parent and I know what a pain that would be, but there's no substitute for it. Have the computer out in the family space and observe regularly what your kids are doing.)tapatihttp://tapati.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-72145655643666475802009-04-12T23:23:00.000-04:002009-04-12T23:23:00.000-04:00They are still available for search, but NOT from ...They are still available for search, but NOT from the MAIN page. Anyone looking for books such as: Ellen Degeneres&#39; Biography, or Heather Has Two Mommies must look specifically under books, and if you are looking for a book that is also a movie and want to see both results, you have to do two searches, one under Books, and one under Movies &amp; TV.<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, Playboy displays prominently from a search on the main page.<BR/><BR/>As has been stated elsewhere, if they did this to books by and about African-Americans, wouldn&#39;t we call it racism? Yes- and why should we shy from calling Amazon out over this?kissmyassteriskhttp://kissmyassterisk.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-47524151216451836122009-04-12T23:02:00.000-04:002009-04-12T23:02:00.000-04:00Great idea Forty Five :)Great idea Forty Five :)The Angry Faghttp://www.theangryfag.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-91590572945724558352009-04-12T22:58:00.000-04:002009-04-12T22:58:00.000-04:00How we can speak out with our money as well as our...How we can speak out with our money as well as our petitions, phone calls and emails: Go buy an LGBT themed book at an indy store and then email Amazon with a picture of the receipt that they lost in sales. Please pass this info in via your blog, FB status, Twitter, etc.Forty Five<br><br>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00167039376585745367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-84389414002594646102009-04-12T22:46:00.000-04:002009-04-12T22:46:00.000-04:00When the website buyblue.org was up and running (l...When the website buyblue.org was up and running (last I checked, it is now defunct) you could check which companies have liberal policies and donate heavy to which political party. Amazon was definately in the red. Is this related? Possibly.<BR/><BR/>And I recall searching for a gay themed book, couldn't find anything. Later, someone loaned me a book and I'm certain I typed in the exact search words.phd in yogurtryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13271891110211081990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-58992402280535981072009-04-12T20:52:00.000-04:002009-04-12T20:52:00.000-04:00Interesting thing to note.....Type in "homosexuali...Interesting thing to note.....<BR/><BR/>Type in "homosexuality" for a search. You get 3 books trashing homosexuality and a book by Gene Robinson as your top 4.The Angry Faghttp://www.theangryfag.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-22611838891644459792009-04-12T19:16:00.000-04:002009-04-12T19:16:00.000-04:00Tweeted and cross posted. I'm curious as to what t...Tweeted and cross posted. I'm curious as to what they give as an explanation.Kelli Anne Buseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02795171536476852163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-26135849109502396552009-04-12T18:55:00.001-04:002009-04-12T18:55:00.001-04:00Also, wow, 3 lbgt books still have a sales ranking...Also, wow, 3 lbgt books still have a sales ranking despite the...uh, more than 3 that don't! I guess we better go home!T. R Xandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12142370339947719352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-58689219101569211922009-04-12T18:55:00.000-04:002009-04-12T18:55:00.000-04:00For more "queer hysteria" (lulz szlevi) everyone c...For more "queer hysteria" (lulz szlevi) everyone check out this post: http://atrulyelegantmess.blogspot.com/2009/04/queer-kids-dont-exist-action-needed.html<BR/><BR/>There's a nice petition involved too.T. R Xandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12142370339947719352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-3030352079360452522009-04-12T18:18:00.000-04:002009-04-12T18:18:00.000-04:00Again: how is it that all those 3 well-known LGBT ...Again: how is it that all those 3 well-known LGBT books I've linked above STILL HAVE THEIR SALES RANKS?<BR/><BR/>As I said before: STOP with the queer hysteria...szlevihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980852553070278306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-48265587269164579202009-04-12T18:12:00.000-04:002009-04-12T18:12:00.000-04:00Ellen DeGeneres' autobiography no longer has a sal...Ellen DeGeneres' autobiography no longer has a sales ranking. Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, with a naked woman on the cover, is unchanged.Stan Scottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-11310314484674785962009-04-12T18:11:00.000-04:002009-04-12T18:11:00.000-04:00Every should post the following link Amazon Rank t...Every should post the following link <A HREF="http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/amazonrank" REL="nofollow">Amazon Rank</A> to Google Bomb Amazon and force them to change their censorship policyAmazon Rankhttp://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/amazonranknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-38708274825192150972009-04-12T17:45:00.000-04:002009-04-12T17:45:00.000-04:00It could be that Amazon made an honest mistake. So...It could be that Amazon made an honest mistake. Some people view everything about sexuality as erotica in some fashion. Perhaps a new policy went into affect and the implementation... suffered from bad judgement.Vanessahttp://www.crossdresserheaven.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-59956822297447350862009-04-12T17:16:00.000-04:002009-04-12T17:16:00.000-04:00For all the posters who comment advising caution.....For all the posters who comment advising caution...please explain to me why &quot;Heather Has Two Mommies&quot; (http://www.amazon.com/Heather-Has-Two-Mommies-Anniversary/dp/1555835430/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1239555808&amp;sr=1-1 look, no sales ranking!) has stronger &quot;adult content&quot; than &quot;American Psycho&quot; (http://www.amazon.com/American-Psycho-Bret-Easton-Ellis/dp/0679735771/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1239566293&amp;sr=1-1 Look! Four different ways to use sales rankings to find more books like this one!)? And then explain to me how this is <I>not</I> about bigotry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-42000834036732497002009-04-12T16:36:00.000-04:002009-04-12T16:36:00.000-04:00I don't believe it's an LGBT issue. I think it's a...I don't believe it's an LGBT issue. I think it's a broader "offensive content" issue. LGBT titles are only one set that their system pulls in.Nobilishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02619601142783473136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-62600603093574357592009-04-12T15:23:00.000-04:002009-04-12T15:23:00.000-04:00Maybe some complete research should be done prior ...Maybe some complete research should be done prior to assuming this is a campaign against LGBT literature. For example, the books &quot;Slow Love: A Polynesian Pillow Book (Paperback)&quot;, category Health, Mind &amp; Body &gt; General, and &quot;French Women Don&#39;t Sleep Alone&quot;, categories Health, Mind &amp; Body &gt; Relationships &gt; Interpersonal Relations, Health, Mind &amp; Body &gt; Relationships &gt; Love &amp; Romance, and Parenting &amp; Families &gt; General, don&#39;t have sales ranks, either. More likely, something just isn&#39;t functioning properly at this time, and it impacted some, but not all, categories of book sales rankings. Considering that Amazon has historically been one of the most LGBT friendly companies around, don&#39;t they deserve the benefit of the doubt? Also, &quot;censorship&quot; doesn&#39;t really seem to apply here as all of the books are still available to purchase. All that is missing is a number that I&#39;d bet 90% or more of customers never even look at.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-63575201281932351762009-04-12T13:53:00.000-04:002009-04-12T13:53:00.000-04:00Not sure if this has been posted but the petition ...Not sure if this has been posted but the petition started against this is found here:<BR/>http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/in-protest-at-amazons-new-adult-policyKassahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492731096086969911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3451574857665049482.post-14410320148836435092009-04-12T13:41:00.000-04:002009-04-12T13:41:00.000-04:00Anon not every single LGBT book is not ranking, bu...Anon not every single LGBT book is not ranking, but most appear not to be. <BR/><BR/>I think one of two things might be happening.<BR/><BR/>1. System glitch, certain words are pulled out as possible erotic books and for whatever reason LGBT books are being flagged.<BR/><BR/>2. There is a suppression by Amazon, perhaps under pressure by religious right elements.<BR/><BR/>I hope it is the first one and a misunderstanding that can be fixed, otherwise they will have gay rights, civil liberties people ticked off about censorship and the religious right celebrating.Queers Unitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05074493276489593816noreply@blogger.com